Warm, Dry & Stupid
by Legendgrass
Summary: Adora wishes it hadn't rained today. That is, until she meets a very attractive, very unhappy stranger while standing in the middle of the downpour.
1. Chapter 1

Adora wished it hadn't rained today.

Today was the one day that Bow wasn't able to give her a ride to soccer practice, so she was stuck waiting for the bus (at a bus stop that for some reason didn't have any shelter) with no relief and nothing to look forward to except three hours of running drills in the rain. Usually she didn't mind practice. She even liked it, some days. But soccer in the rain quit being cool after the first ten minutes and the rest just felt like a freezing, watery hell.

At least she had an umbrella to use while she was waiting for her torment to begin. She leaned the shaft against her shoulder with one hand and used the other to reply to Bow's numerous text messages sent to their group chat:

_For the last time Bow it's ok. u haven't hung out with your dads since like june, _she said.

_But I'm letting you guys down! :'(( I just feel so bad, _was his reply.

_get a grip bow i swear or i'll kick u from the chat, _Glimmer chimed in, all her patience worn out after the first six times Bow tearfully apologized to them for committing to dinner with his family instead of chauffeuring them to practice. Which he had done unfailingly three times a week since the season started, out of the sheer goodness of his heart.

_nooooooooooo! _

Three dots signalled that Bow had more to say in protest, but Adora didn't have the emotional capacity to deal with that _and _the demoralizing rainshower at the same time anymore, so she locked her phone and tucked it into the pocket of her blue and gray Bright Moon pullover with a sigh. She loved her friends. She really did. They were just…a lot.

She raised her head and breathed the damp air in deeply. The refreshing scent of the downpour on the grass and the leaves and the pavement made her circumstances seem a bit more bearable somehow. The smell always gave her a sort of sense of peace and familiarity, but also longing, like Adora had some fond memory associated with it but the memory itself was too faded to remember.

Most of her good memories were like that. Faded.

She pushed that thought away abruptly and focused on the sensations of the rain falling around her. She could hear it hissing and pattering against a variety of surfaces, soothing. She could see it cascade down in streams off her umbrella and into a perfect circle around her, like she was protected by a force field and the elements could come no closer. But she could also feel the spray hit her ankles as the drops splattered against the pavement, because she was never truly protected. Not from Weaver.

She sighed and looked away. Trust Adora to find a way to get stuck in her head no matter—

_Whoa._

In breaking out of her reverie, Adora's eyes fell on the stranger standing next to her for the first time, hunched against the _Bus Stop _sign with one foot propped against the post, hood up and covered in fallen raindrops that dripped from the brim and into thick brown bangs.

The very attractive, very unhappy stranger.

Adora felt an immediate twist of guilt for failing to notice before now that the girl was standing there obviously soaked through and terribly uncomfortable. Normally she would have been all over the opportunity to be a good Samaritan (and maybe charm a girl or two in the process). Damn her stupid neurotic mind for pulling her into depressing existential post-traumatic drama!

Pulling herself back into reality, she pursed her lips and hazarded a glance between the slouching girl and her umbrella. Better late than never, she guessed. She gave herself a small shrug and then slowly passed her umbrella to her other hand, the one nearer the girl. She tilted it so that the canopy stretched out over them both, redirecting the rain to drip down in a harmless ring around their feet, like a curtain separating them from the world.

Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic. But Adora wouldn't have minded them being separated from the world by a magic rain curtain, really. This stranger was pretty cute.

The girl noticed the sudden lack of raindrops pelting her on the head and looked up sharply. When her eyes met Adora's, the first thing Adora noticed was that they were two different colors: one blue, one gold, like a couple of precious stones. The next thing she noticed was the scowl on the girl's face, draped behind the dampened strands of her choppy bangs and flecked with freckles.

Well, that wasn't usually the response she got. Maybe she deserved it for taking so long to make a move, though, Adora reasoned. She met the girl's sour look with a gentle smile, and gradually the cloud over her face lifted—partially, at least. Those precious-gemstone eyes drifted away, though, and refused to look at her.

"Thanks," the girl said, and it was barely more than a murmur. She kept her shoulders pulled up as if she were still warding off the chill of the rain. Or as if she were trying to hide, maybe.

"No problem," replied Adora, taking the chance to study the girl curiously while she wasn't looking. She noted the tension in her shoulders, the slight flush in her cheeks, and wondered if she should just back off and leave this girl to suffer in peace. A larger part of her dismissed that idea, though, and instead gave way to a rush of sympathy and protectiveness. This girl looked a little worse for wear, if she could be so bold to make assumptions. If Adora wasn't kind to her, who would be? She was familiar enough with the failings of human nature to know that the answer was no one. So she edged a little closer, casually, and her eyes fell on the front of the girl's rain-spotted red hoodie. She recognized the logo there: a pair of scalloped wings. "Horde, huh?" she commented. "I was going to go there."

The girl spared her half a look out of the corner of her eye: the epitome of disinterest. But she must have felt somewhat indebted to Adora for taking pity on her, because she grumbled anyway, "Yeah? What happened?"

Adora shrugged. The umbrella bobbed above them slightly. "I got a better offer."

The girl grunted and looked ahead again. "Well, you're not missing much." She obviously intended that to be the end of the conversation.

Adora wouldn't give up that easily, though. "Mm," she hummed thoughtfully. For some reason her awareness of the rain falling all around them yet not reaching them—their little sanctuary under her umbrella, exclusive only to them—gave her an odd sense of resolve. She felt like she was _supposed _to be here just now, and that feeling made her a little bold. So she looked discreetly across at the girl to gauge her reaction and ventured, "I might be missing more than I thought."

For a split second the girl went stiff, and her eyes widened. Adora saw those multihued irises cut toward her, but not land on her, as if hesitant to confirm the meaning behind that remark—and then they lowered, framed by a deepening blush. The girl rolled her shoulders self-consciously and retorted in a quiet voice, "Don't be too sure."

It was hard to tell if that was a hard _leave me alone _or the girl just being self-deprecating, but Adora decided to play it safe and back off. She kept the umbrella over both their heads, though. That was a given.

She was debating whether to speak again when the bus came trundling up the road from the next corner down. The people at the stop—mostly college students, a few businesspeople running late, a couple of old folks headed for Publix for the Tuesday seniors' sale—began to loosely line up at the curb as it pulled up. Adora filed in behind the hooded stranger so she could still share the umbrella. The girl didn't protest. It gave Adora a little burst of something in her chest. Satisfaction? Chivalry? She could have sworn this feeling seemed familiar.

She was just tall enough to see over the other girl's head as they progressed through the line to reach the bus. She could see that a good number of people had already boarded, and found herself beginning to worry that she'd find a seat. She'd been standing at the bus stop for almost a half hour; she'd really appreciate a rest before soccer practice (because, yeah, they were still going to have practice in the rain).

They boarded the bus one after the other, and Adora shook out her umbrella just outside the doors before folding it up and mounting the stairs. She scanned the length of the aisle for a seat. There was one, toward the back, on the right. Two, actually. She was guaranteed a seat as long as no one tackled her to get to it first or something. Relief made the tension drain out of her muscles as she relished the thought off getting off her feet for a few minutes.

Then it came right back as she realized the hooded girl was headed right for the pair of seats. That meant—

Well, crap.

Adora hung back slightly as the girl navigated the aisle and slid into the open seat, scooting across to lean against the window. She cast her gaze outside right away and reached into her drawstring back to pull out a pair of black and red earbuds, ready to space out as soon as possible. Adora bit her lip, almost afraid to approach her. What if it came across as creepy if she sat next to her?

But she really wanted that seat.

That was all. Swear.

Adora steeled herself with a deep breath and headed the rest of the way up the aisle to the empty seat. She tried not to bite her lip as she caught the girl's eye and motioned to the vacant spot. "Do you…mind if I sit here?" she asked tentatively. _Please say yes, _she begged internally. _Please don't be creeped out. My feet just hurt._

The girl shrugged at her briefly and then looked out the window again.

_And I think you're really pretty._

Because, wow, she was, but Adora kept that tidbit to herself until she felt out the territory a little more. Figuratively, of course. She felt her face heat up against her will as she lowered herself down beside the girl.

All awkwardness aside, this girl really did seem familiar somehow—like the sensation of standing by her side, shielding her from the rain. In her presence, Adora felt an odd pull, and it wasn't just because the girl's sharp cheekbones and rugged jaw and sweeping nose were really attractive (because they were) or because her two-colored eyes were the most intriguing thing Adora had ever seen (because they were) or—

All right, so yeah, she was gorgeous, in a wild-jungle-cat sort of way, but that wasn't the point. Adora felt drawn to her, on a soul-deep kind of level. She hadn't even known that was a thing until now, but sitting beside this girl who should have been a stranger but felt more like coming home, it made perfect sense.

She had to wonder if the other girl felt it too. The way she was doing her best to ignore Adora right now, it didn't seem like it.

Adora settled back against the seat and tucked her belongings between her knees and tried not to look at the girl beside her. It was difficult, and not just because Adora was an extrovert who struggled to decide what to do with herself during awkward silences. The girl was sitting close enough that Adora could feel the heat of her arm beneath her rain-spotted jacket. She could smell the woodsy sort of scent of her hair. She could see a couple tiny water droplets still shimmering on her long black eyelashes, and—

Crap, she was looking at her. Adora was terrible at this. There was no way she'd make it through this bus ride in silence with temptation herself sitting right beside her. Sooner or later, she would have to break.

There wasn't much sense in waiting till later, she figured. "What's your name?" she asked, voice slightly raised over the noise of the bus and the music in the girl's ears.

"Catra," replied the girl shortly, sliding Adora a sideways look. Her blue eye caught the filtered light from through the window and looked like broken ice. Adora's heart must have stopped for a full second.

She was extremely aware that she might be annoying the girl—Catra—by forcing the conversation, but now the door had been opened so she couldn't help but supply in response, "I'm Adora."

Catra turned toward her just a bit more so her gold eye came into view, too, and then both of them narrowed. "'Adora?'" she echoed incredulously. "What, 'cause everybody loves you or something?" Her gaze was flicking around Adora's face as if trying to read deeper into her character by the power of observation alone.

Adora wasn't sure why she was so quick to protest, "No!"

Actually, she was sure. She didn't particularly like the scrutinizing look Catra was giving her. Like she was judging her. For her _name, _of all things. Not like Adora had chosen it herself! It wasn't her fault everyone kind of _did _happen to love her, coincidentally. Not really.

When Catra looked a little startled by her vehemence Adora had to backtrack. "Well, I don't know," she admitted, fiddling uncomfortably with a loose strand of her bangs. This wasn't one of her favorite topics. "I wouldn't say that. Not exactly. I mean—I don't know. Not like I can just ask my parents." She resisted the urge to glance at Catra to discern her reaction now. She didn't want to seem like she was just playing for sympathy, because she wasn't. This was something she'd had her whole life to come to terms with. She'd done an okay job of it, too, if she said so herself. Just, discussing it with strangers…

"Oh," said Catra, in the tone of an apology, although she didn't seem the kind of person to offer one outright. If Adora had been looking, she would have seen that Catra had turned her gaze away too. Her voice was gruff when she added, "Yeah, me neither."

At that Adora looked over at her and gave her the kind of smile she reserved just for this occasion; the soft, regretful one that didn't quite reach her eyes. She knew from experience that words like 'I'm sorry' sounded terribly empty at times like this. So instead she said, "Life's a bitch to the best of us sometimes," with the same sort of feeling as her smile. Then that smile quirked up just a little bit closer to genuine and she added, "like when it decides to start pouring rain on you while you're waiting for the bus."

Catra spared an ironic chuckle at that and slouched lower in her seat, her shoulders bunched up to fight off the lingering chill from that particular misfortune. Adora noticed and caught her lip between her teeth, her heart panging with sympathy.

"Are you cold?" she asked. Then she took a split second to beat back her rising insecurity and plowed on before she lost her nerve: "Do you—do you want my jacket? It's dry. It might be warmer."

Catra's blue eye peered up at her from beneath her lowered, rain-spattered hood. There was a silence that lasted long enough for Adora to wonder if the girl would answer at all, and then the Horde student plucked out one earbud and said sharply, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Adora's brows shot up and she pulled back a fraction. Was she—had she said the wrong thing? Had she gone too far? They had only just met, after all. Maybe she'd come on too strong.

Her mouth had fallen open but nothing would come out until she cleared her throat, and even then she stammered: "Well—I just—I mean," and apparently the best thing her brain could think to say right then was, "I guess I just have a weakness for pretty girls."

Man, she'd never wanted to slap herself in the forehead so hard.

She winced visibly and turned away before she had the chance to notice Catra's blush. "Sorry," she said in a rush. "That was inappropriate. I just, I can't think when I'm nervous and my mouth just runs away from me and—"

A short laugh from Catra cut her short. "I make you nervous?" the other girl asked, slyness so thick in her voice Adora could have used it for a mattress. A mattress like on a bed. A bed like—

Adora's mind screeched to a halt before it plunged over that cliff. She was past the point of stammering out words now—all that escaped her throat was a scoff, because—_wow, _how did things go downhill so fast? How was she supposed to save this conversation now? She'd just made it _weird _and made herself look like an absolute idiot (which she was) and now surely Catra would never want to see her again.

Except—

The way Catra was looking at her was teasing, sure, but there was a hint of a blush behind her freckles and—she couldn't possibly be playing along with Adora's heavy-handed attempts at flirting, could she? Because if she was that would mean—

Catra giggled at the shock on Adora's face and it was possibly the most adorable thing the blonde had ever heard. "I'm just messing with you," she assured, still chuckling. "Besides, it's cute."

"It's—?" Adora could not believe what she was hearing. Like, _literally _could not. She almost pinched herself to make sure she hadn't passed out in embarrassment and this was just a hallucination. "Oh. Oh, I—" Catra's eyes holding hers, warm and half-lidded and sparkling like two gemstones, certainly seemed real. She didn't think her unconscious brain was creative enough to come up with a character as perfect as this. "Thanks?" she managed in a tiny whisper.

Honestly, she had no clue how she could go from smooth and attractive to a complete ineloquent mess in the blink of an eye, but it was apparently her greatest talent.

She guessed she just hadn't expected…you know, reciprocation.

Catra looked like she knew exactly what Adora was thinking and was having the time of her life watching her squirm. Her lips were curled in a grin that showed off her sharp canines and the motion made her cheeks dimple just a little. She nudged Adora with her elbow and murmured coyly, "Chill out, Adora. Somebody might think you like me or something."

Adora took a deep breath and let it out in an explosive sigh, determined to regain at least some semblance of dignity. "I thought they'd figured it out the moment I offered you my umbrella," she said with a hint of sauciness of her own. Yeah, this was better. Banter was better. It was safer, anyway.

Catra's smile turned just a bit more crooked. One of those canines caught the edge of her lip and Adora tried not to let her gaze wander to it too obviously. She failed.

Catra noticed, of course. She deliberately wet her lips, just to torture Adora as much as possible, and asked lowly, "So, does your offer still stand?"

Adora's brows twitched upward as her two brain cells worked desperately to recall what offer Catra was talking about before the silence stretched too long, but she was rescued from embarrassing herself when the other girl tipped her head toward Adora's warm Bright Moon pullover.

"Oh," she said with more than a little relief, reaching instantly for the hem. "Yeah. Of course. You want it?"

Catra lowered her eyes, looking almost shy for the first time. Her freckles were fading under a blush. "I am pretty cold," she mumbled into her chest.

Adora felt a small grin spread over her own face and a blossoming warmth where her heart was. "No problem," she replied, and went to pull her jacket over her head. As the cozy layer peeled away and left a slight chill behind, Adora realized that she didn't care if it meant Catra was comfortable. Immediately following that thought, she got the feeling that she'd probably choose the same thing again, and every time after that, if she got the chance. Which was odd, since she'd just met this girl, what, ten minutes ago? Something about her was just…magnetic. Like Adora was supposed to know her. Like she was supposed to care for her.

Was that weird?

She passed Catra her pullover. Catra grabbed the bottom of her red Horde hoodie and shucked it off quickly, like she was embarrassed to be doing it. The t-shirt she wore underneath hiked up a bit with the motion and Adora moved to hold it down for her without thinking. Her knuckles accidentally brushed smooth tan skin and Catra gave a tiny grunt of surprise as she reemerged from her hoodie, wild brown hair impossibly mussed, eyes flashing.

"Sorry," murmured Adora quickly, pulling her hand back. _Remind me not to do that again. _Catra's face looked just on the edge between frightened and frightening, and Adora knew immediately that there was a wealth of history behind it that she doubted the other girl wanted to unpack just now. For some reason that made the feeling of protectiveness in her chest swell twice as big.

Catra's eyes narrowed slightly, but the look she gave wasn't angry. More…calculating. Her cheeks were darkening even further. "No," she dismissed as she found the opening of Adora's pullover, "it's okay." She disappeared into the new article of clothing and came back out rumpled all over again. The sight of her staticky hair plus the way the pullover positively engulfed her made Adora swallow back a laugh.

"What?" Catra demanded as she readjusted her earbuds and popped in the one furthest from Adora. Her hands were half-swallowed by the fleece sleeves and this time Adora couldn't suppress her chuckle. Catra's look turned into a scowl.

"Nothing," said Adora lightly as Catra shoved her red hoodie into the drawstring bag by her feet. As she straightened up, Adora reached out and fixed the collar of the pullover where it had gotten folded. She could feel the warmth coming off Catra's skin but she was careful not to touch her again without permission. Her hand remained there while the other girl met her eyes. "It's just…cute." She felt her face heating up as Catra's eyes widened at having her own words used against her.

"You traitor," the Horde student said in a harsh whisper, a smile growing all the same. Then her nose crinkled up and she burst into a laugh, which Adora couldn't help but join in with after all but a second. The two of them doubled over way more enthusiastically than was really necessary and stayed that way longer than really necessary but it was comfortable and it was exciting and it was like they'd known each other forever and Adora just—_wow, _this was nice.

When they finally wore themselves out and looked up at one another, they were _so _close, but Adora was hardly even flustered anymore. She felt content there just a few inches away from this pretty, cocky stranger she'd had the fortune of running into today; the one with the sharp teeth and the sharper wit and the eyes that shined like the sun and the sky. She was happy just to sit and look into those eyes she felt like were so familiar, and Catra made no move to stop her. Everything else sort of faded into the background, as unnoticed as the bump and rumble of the bus engine beneath their feet.

Catra was the first one to break their odd, special little reverie. Her eyes flickered over Adora's shoulder, down to her lips, and then back to her eyes, and the blue and gold was bright with mischief.

"Hey," she said in the tone of sly conspiracy.

"Hm?" Adora questioned suspiciously, resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder or—Catra had looked at her _lips!—_anything.

Catra was biting her lip with one of those pointy canines again, holding back a smirk. Adora's heart rate kicked up a notch. What was this? A joke? A confession? Should she be concerned?

Was Catra about to drop a bombshell on her—like, that she was in a relationship? Or—

She made herself stop that line of thought before she worked herself up for no reason.

Catra let Adora sit in suspense for a good moment before leaning in and saying lowly, sultry, in her ear,

"This is my stop."

"Oh!" Air rushed into Adora's lungs and she hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath. She stood up immediately to let Catra out into the aisle, flushing in embarrassment over her tendency to jump to huge conclusions, lowering her head to hide the color in her cheeks.

As Catra stood too and slung her drawstring onto her back, she nudged Adora with her shoulder. Her hand dipped into her pocket and surfaced with her phone.

"No time to give you back your jacket now." She shrugged in mock helplessness, her smirk now on full display. She held out her phone to Adora. "Guess I'll have to get your number, so you can come pick it up later."

Adora's jaw dropped and a wondering laugh spilled out, amazed at her luck, as she took it and entered in her contact. Catra was asking for her number? With such an obviously bullshit excuse that it was really, really flattering? And now they were pretty much guaranteed a second meeting, and at Catra's place no less, and that meant maybe they would actually get to know each other and maybe they would become friends and then maybe—

Adora finished and handed back the phone and Catra purposely let their fingers brush as she accepted it. Adora's eyes flicked up and met hers and— _She's so frickin' cute. _

"Gotta go," said Catra, and skipped past her to hurry down the aisle before the bus moved on—though not before shooting a teasing wink back over her shoulder. The blue and gray Bright Moon pullover was practically a huge blanket around her shoulders—and it was Adora's! _Catra _was wearing Adora's clothes!

Adora must have been beet red as she returned to her seat. She found herself pulling her phone out of her pocket and checking the home screen just to see if maybe Catra had texted her in the last 0.2 seconds. She hadn't. But that didn't stop Adora's heart from running away from her anyway.

Man, she was _so _glad it had rained today.


	2. Chapter 2

Catra cracked open her dorm room door to a sight that felt more familiar than it should have.

"Hey," greeted Adora, her face brightening instantly as her eyes lit upon Catra. The rest of her looked a little bedraggled, blonde ponytail limp and darkened with moisture, arms wrapped around her middle to ward off the fall chill, but she still tried to appear casual as she leaned up against the doorframe.

Catra felt something warm settle in her heart. "Hey, Adora," she drawled, trying to school her expression into a sly smirk and not a dopey grin at Adora's presence. "You're early." She mirrored the blonde's stance against the doorframe, neglecting to invite her in, deciding to play just a little hard to get until she was sufficiently impatient.

Even if she had been the one to invite her over in the first place.

Adora's face fell immediately. Apparently this was a tender topic. "Well, I—" She broke off quickly and huffed a frustrated sigh, blowing an escaped strand of her hair off her forehead. "I was going to see if you wanted to, you know…make a date out of this. Since I'm here. And you're here. With me." Adora gave a brief once-over of Catra's face as if to judge her reaction, and then dropped her eyes again. "And I came all this way, so might as well make it count, you know?" She shrugged and laughed awkwardly as if afraid that was stupid.

Catra had barely registered Adora's words. She was preoccupied instead with trying to figure out: _Why is she acting like this? _Where was slick, sensual Adora from the bus? What had happened to all her easy confidence and quick-witted comebacks? Don't get Catra wrong, she still thought the girl was a snack, but a whole facet of her intrigue had just dropped off the face of her personality, and Catra was confused. Was this the real Adora? Shy, nervous and endearing? Or was this just a momentary hiccup in her usual cool facade? Catra tilted her head, calculating. She wasn't sure how to react to this Adora.

The blonde, for her part, was still talking, still rushed like she was afraid the Horde student might shut the door on her or something. "But then _that _happened," She waved an arm behind her at the rain sheeting down outside, just visible at the end of the exterior hallway, "so I guess going anywhere is sort of out of the question, since the bus I took here was the last one running tonight. Unless you want to get super wet." She looked out at the rain and wrinkled her nose at it resentfully before she froze, face going slack as she realized what had just come out of her mouth. Her eyes flashed back to Catra's and the pure panic in them was enough to make the brunette burst into a full-on cackle.

_Seriously, what happened to her! _she wondered as she practically wheezed on her mirth. _It's like she reverted into a freaking twelve-year-old. _

She stayed doubled over laughing for a good moment before she could raise her head and face Adora without having a fit all over again. When she did, the blonde was regarding her with an expression somewhere between a tentative smile and a humiliated grimace. Her chuckles trailed off and she felt the sudden need to reassure Adora that she wasn't laughing at _her, _she was just—well—

Okay, maybe she was laughing at her. But that was nothing to be embarrassed about. Much.

She thought she could learn to live with this awkward, bumbling version of Adora, even if it did turn out to be the real her. It was kind of cute.

And she was still standing in the doorway.

"Come in, stupid," Catra invited by way of reparation, stepping aside and widening the door slightly so the other girl could sheepishly comply.

As she crossed the threshold she looked around appraisingly, blue eyes flickering over the single couch, TV table, and half-kitchen (which her roommate Scorpia had cleaned before she left for the weekend, thank God) before they caught on the window on the other side of the room. The filtered light made her face seem to glow.

"The rain always seems to force us together, doesn't it?" she commented, watching the downpour send spatters of moisture against the panes.

And Catra was watching her. She couldn't help the twitch of her lips that threatened a smile as she gazed on Adora's simple beauty. "Fine by me," she replied, and that was the honest truth. She'd never felt this kind of pull to somebody so soon after meeting them, but _Adora_— "Anyway, there's things to do here."

Those blue eyes cut to her, crinkling wryly at the edges. "Have something in mind?"

"Oh, I can think of a few ways to pass the time," she shot back with a wink, and—_why _was Adora's face getting all flushed again? She was the one who'd started this! _Don't tell me she's backing out now. _Catra bit her lip. _Maybe she doesn't feel the same thing I do. _Trying to fight off the twist of disappointment that worked its way into her gut at that thought, she shrugged off the joke and any potential tension with it, backpedaling toward her bedroom with a wave over her shoulder. "Here, let me go get your hoodie," she offered. Since that was technically the whole reason Adora was here, anyway.

"Uh," Adora's voice cut her off rapidly, and she turned back, brows quirking up question. "I was, uh—thinking, on the way here." The blonde started to step forward and then stopped herself short, one hand curling into a fist at her side, a nervous gesture. Her blush had spread to her ears and it was working its merry way down her neck, too. She met Catra's eyes hesitantly. "You might, um, need it more than I do."

Catra paused, surprised. Pleasantly surprised, sure, but surprised all the same. She pursed her lips and asked, "You're saying you want me to keep it?"

"Maybe?" Adora wavered, one of her shoulders lifting in a shrug. "If you want?" Was she literally wringing her hands right now? "I mean, I have another—"

Catra narrowed her eyes slightly. "You don't mean like a couple thing?"

And—if that bumbling Bright Moon girl got any redder, Catra was going to have to phone the fire department. She was spluttering and choking on her words too, though, so maybe it would have to be the paramedics instead. "I—well—not really like _that_, if that's not—if you don't—" Adora slapped herself in the forehead with her palm, letting out a loud groan. Apparently this _wasn't _usually how she communicated, and it was frustrating her just as much as it was confusing Catra.

_So she's just nervous around me, then?_ was her tentative, exciting conclusion, and Adora's next words just threw a heap of dry wood on that fire:

"…Would that be okay?"

Catra regarded her for a long moment, heart tripping, trying to determine if she was serious. She could see Adora's resolve wilting by the second, and that gave her a little twinge of pity, because she _did _like this girl. A lot. She seemed sweet and well-meaning and of course, she was beautiful. But the truth was, Catra knew nothing about her. She couldn't toss aside all logical reasoning because some girl was cute. Realistically, graduating to maybe-couple status on the second meeting was…not. Catra hadn't spent her whole life building up rock-solid emotional walls just to let someone bull through them in a day.

So she couldn't say yes right now. This Adora would have to earn her way to her heart. That was something that would take time.

But, who said they didn't have time?

"Tell you what," she said finally, returning to her path toward her room. She ducked inside, leaned over to the bottom drawer of her dresser where she had carefully folded and stashed Adora's Brightmoon U pullover (nothing else in her room was folded or put neatly away, mind you), and plucked the article out. She had to stop herself from going to sniff it on impulse, because maybe in the past week it had grown to be a bit of a habit, since it brought back the fuzzy, tumbled feeling she'd gotten from their flirting on the bus, and also maybe Adora smelled very nice and it smelled like her—but that wasn't important!

She hoped she wasn't blushing when she stepped back out and tossed the shirt nonchalantly back to the other girl. "…I give it back to you now," she continued before the hurt on Adora's face could spread too far, "and we'll reevaluate its future after a couple more dates." She ended with a hint of an affectionate smirk. The word _dates _had the effect she'd desired, brightening Adora's whole countenance so fast it was almost funny.

"Really?" she practically shouted, then reined herself in a little bit and amended, "I mean, are you sure? I don't want to make you feel like I'm pressuring you into anything—"

"Adora, please," Catra interrupted with a dismissive snort. "If I didn't want you here, you wouldn't be standing in my living room dripping water onto the carpet." She looked pointedly at the floor around Adora's feet, which was stained dark by a puddle of rainwater and mud.

Adora's expression morphed from relief to panic. Catra could virtually hear her mind racing with spirals of _Oh no, I'm an idiot a_nd _She'll hate me now! _"Oh, geez, sorry—" she blurted aloud, trying to back up toward the door like she was about to leave over something as inconsequential as the carpet, but Catra cut her off with a playful look.

"Good thing you have a warm, dry hoodie right there, stupid." She flicked a long-nailed finger toward the blue and gray Bright Moon pullover clutched in Adora's hands, still smirking. Also deciding to ignore the damp spot on the carpet. _Not like I'll be the one cleaning that up anyway._

"Oh, yeah," Adora mumbled, glancing down at it. "I'll just—"

And Catra could not say that she expected the other girl to strip off her current sweatshirt and toss it to the side right then and there, but that's what she did, leaving Adora in a tight-fitting athleisure tank top and Catra in an absolute gay panic. _You can see her six-pack _through _her shirt! _her brain generously pointed out to her. _And her biceps could— _

Don't think about that. In the name of all that is good in the world.

Thankfully Adora threw on the dry pullover pretty quickly, covering up all of that fine-toned glory and rescuing Catra from short-circuiting on the spot like one of Entrapta's failed experiments, but it still took a moment for Catra to yank her eyes away from where that sweet, sweet six-pack had just been.

As the blonde reached up to fix her mussed ponytail, the high collar of the shirt brushed against her nose and a light smile spread over her face. "It smells like you," she observed without thinking, and then promptly facepalmed once again. "Crap," she hissed under her breath. Then she looked up at Catra desperately, hand falling away slightly. "That's so weird. I apologize."

"Not as weird as you think," Catra replied with a crooked grin and a look in her eyes that she hoped didn't look as dopey as it felt. And if Adora caught the drift behind those words, well, she supposed it wouldn't be too bad. She couldn't let the Bright Moon jock keep embarrassing herself alone, could she?

Adora grinned back at her, the flush on her cheeks fading into a pleasant pink glow instead. She grabbed her other sweatshirt and began to fold it up out of habit, addressing Catra while her eyes were down: "So I guess I'm stuck here for a while, huh?" There was a hint of sauciness in her voice that sounded much more like the Adora from the bus. When she finished and looked up again, her eyes shined with the same kind of energy. "Care to share some of those ideas you had?"

Catra chuckled and flashed her sharp canines mischievously. "Oh, you bet, princess."

…

For all Catra's innuendo and intrigue, her master plan really just involved them watching a movie together.

Except it only ended up being about twenty minutes of a movie before they gave up, because by this point in the week both girls were so tired that even the thrill of a sort-of first date wasn't enough to keep their eyelids from drooping. Catra wasn't too disappointed. Maybe it was because she wasn't a huge fan of Nick Cage anyway. Or maybe it was because Adora had decided to stay the night, and she was about to get like ten whole hours to herself with her new…whatever Adora was.

Her heart was racing just a little as she threw a fake-casual glance toward the other girl and watched her yawn and stretch luxuriously. "Sleepy?" she teased, even though she was fully aware of the answer. Something was tugging at her mind and she was having trouble fighting it down. Partly because she wasn't sure she wanted to.

_Want. _What did that even mean anymore? Since when did Catra ever get anything she wanted?

Adora regarded her with half-lidded blue eyes, smiling softly. "Mm-hmm," she affirmed. Then she moved her foot under the blanket they were sharing and prodded the brunette with her toe. Her smile grew as Catra gave her an offended glare. "You?"

"Obviously," Catra grumbled, shoving her foot away with less ire than her sour tone suggested. When Adora giggled, Catra let her expression soften at the sound and met those sparkling eyes warmly. She bit her lip before speaking. That nagging desire at the back of her mind was growing. "I, uh, guess I'll head to bed then." She stood, and her knees felt wobbly.

"Okay," Adora replied in a tone Catra could not allow herself to believe sounded a bit disappointed. "Sleep tight. I'll see you in the morning?" She started to gather up the corners of the blanket Catra had just vacated, wrapping them around herself in preparation to camp right there on the couch.

Catra eyed her every movement, warring with herself internally. _I do want it, _her own brain was prodding her. Even though she was the one who'd just put the brakes on a deeper relationship so soon. _I want to be close to her._ _And this is my chance to do something about it._

And Catra _knew _how hypocritical she was being, but she had never been big on patience. Every time something good came into her life, life was sure to snatch it away before she could get too comfortable. She was tired of getting her happiness ripped forever out of reach. She was tired of scrambling to hold on to things after it was too late.

She was tired of letting things just _happen _to her.

Maybe it was time for her to make something happen, for once.

Plus, this wouldn't really _mean _anything, would it? It was just her being friendly. That was all. Friends totally—

"Actually," her voice blurted before she had even finished that train of thought. Adora looked up with surprised eyes and Catra hoped what she was about to suggest wouldn't scare her off forever. "Do you want to—" The words caught in her throat and a wave of heat washed over her from top to toe and it occurred to her, _Maybe it isn't life that always ends up screwing me over. Maybe it's me. _But she was in too deep now, and she had to finish or Adora would think she was crazy. She sucked in a deep breath. The rest of the words came out in a rush: "—stay with me?"

Those lovely blue eyes widened a fraction, and then Adora tilted her head as if trying to determine if she'd understood correctly. "You mean…in your bed?" she questioned, and there wasn't any hint of judgment or disgust in her voice, but it still scared Catra to death.

She opened and closed her hands nervously, chewing her lip harder, afraid to look Adora in the eyes now. _This was such a bad idea. I'm such an idiot. I should have just waited. _

_Didn't we agree that we have plenty of time?_

"Well, not like—like _that, _but, I guess…yeah?"

There was a pause, during which Catra's nerves just about ate her alive.

And then it ended.

She had _not _expected Adora to laugh.

She snapped her head up to peer at the blonde's face and to her relief it seemed like Adora wasn't laughing _at _her, but that still left the question: _What is she laughing at? _and Catra's brain was kind enough to come up with about a million and a half answers to that in a span of five seconds, none of them good. "Adora?" she prompted, feeling a little bit hurt, willing herself not to do something completely stupid like cry.

When the blonde's laughter tapered off and she met Catra's eyes, hers were nothing but fond. "That sounds perfect, dummy," she said, and her voice soothed Catra's nerves like honey on a sore throat. She felt her shoulders relaxing immediately. Then Adora took her turn to bite her lip hesitantly, and she added, "If you're sure that's okay."

Catra couldn't help the radiant smile that she felt spread over her face then. _Whew. _She was _so _grateful that Adora was the gentle, understanding person that she was. Or that Catra inexplicably _felt _like she was. It was about time something went right.

"I'm sure," she said softly, and _man _her heart felt like it was about to catch on fire. She jerked her chin slightly to beckon Adora after her and headed for her room, hearing not-so-soft footsteps trail behind.

…

Catra didn't sleep very well.

Honestly, though, she didn't really mind.

Every time she woke during the night because of Adora's restless shifting or light snoring or even just the unfamiliar feeling of having someone in her bed, she gave the blonde's sleeping form a long, tired look and thought, _At least someone is getting a good night's sleep._ Normally that would have stirred up in her some bitterness or jealousy or one of her other usual go-to emotions, but just now she felt none of that. As she lay on her side in the dimness, watching Adora through heavy-lidded eyes, her chest felt full with contentment. She could barely believe this wasn't a dream.

The truth was, Adora had been on her mind since their flirtatious exchange on the bus three days ago. Catra wasn't typically the type of girl to fall for someone without getting to know them extensively first (trust issues were cool like that), but this particular Bright Moon nerd had struck her differently for some reason. The first time Catra had laid eyes on her she'd felt a tug in her heart and part of it was that the girl was _gorgeous _but part of it was something else. Something she couldn't exactly put a name to. Maybe it was that Adora seemed more genuine than the average Bright Moon snob. Maybe it was that she'd given her the time of day no one else seemed to. Maybe it was the sometimes slick but also super cute and awkward way she acted when Catra was around.

Maybe Catra was just lonely and Adora had basically presented herself as an immediate solution to that problem, swooping in as a sweet, selfless savior on their very first meeting and just riding on that momentum from then on. Heck, she hadn't even waited the appropriate ten minutes between texts that made sure you didn't look too desperate. It was like she actually _wanted _to talk to Catra. It was like she actually cared about her. It was like she was the kind of someone Catra had given up on ever finding.

Of course she was still afraid of getting too close for fear of being let down like she had so often before. But she was also drawn to this girl, inexplicably; magnetically.

And now she was lying in bed beside her. Basically a dream come true. So no, Catra wasn't really bothered that Adora's low snores made it hard for her to sleep. This way, she had as much time as she wanted to bask in her new companion's presence without the usual pressures of awkwardness or nervousness or guilt lingering in the back of her mind.

This way, being by Adora's side was enough.

…

In the morning, it was still raining.

Catra heard it before she ever opened her eyes, and the steady patter of it against the roof and dripping down the gutter gave her a sudden, intense feeling of satisfaction for some reason. It was just a special kind of comfort to be in warm in bed while the weather did what it would outside. Plus, there was also the supreme contentment that came with waking up beside someone for the first time ever.

Catra had literally never felt this way before. But she hoped her first time would not be her last.

She breathed in the faint scent of precipitation that had seeped in through the window frame and turned over so that she was facing Adora. At the sight of her, a huge grin spread slowly over her face, and she didn't even try to stop it.

She let her eyes wander over the blonde's relaxed face, logging all her favorite features in her memory so she could picture them even after Adora had gone: her graceful dark eyebrows; her sculpted lips; the way she looked so unperturbed in sleep, even the worry lines between her brows faded. Catra got a sudden urge to reach out and touch that little telltale sign of total calm.

But, she didn't know how Adora would feel about that, since they hadn't exactly laid down a definition of their relationship before turning in last night, so instead she just enjoyed as much as she could the press of their knees against one another (the sheets a barrier between) and the closeness of Adora's relaxed hand resting near her hair. The night before, just as she'd been falling asleep, it might have been stroking through her locks carefully, comfortingly—but the memory wasn't clear enough for Catra to be sure that she hadn't just imagined it.

She hoped she hadn't.

She wriggled a little closer, so that she could feel the warmth of Adora's body through the sheets, and closed her eyes again. She fully intended to lie here as long as possible. She wasn't usually the kind of person to understand the draw of staying in bed long after was necessary, preferring instead to get her extra sleep by way of cat naps during the day, but right now…

She was finding that everything changed when you had had someone to share it with.

She lay there, drifting in and out of a doze as she enjoyed the warmth and the rain and the peace and Adora. She didn't know how long it took for Adora to follow her to the surface, but for once she didn't care. For once she was content right where she was.

The bar of morning sunlight filtering in through the blinds had reached Catra by the time Adora woke. In fact, it was probably the sun that dragged her into consciousness.

The process was slow. First the blonde stirred, turning her face away from the window. Then she breathed deeply and sighed, frowned at the sun still in her eyes, and groaned a little. It was still a while before her eyes cracked open a reluctant sliver, looking steel-gray in the light. That worry line between her brows returned for just a moment as she spread her hand against the sheets and shuffled her feet beneath them, apparently trying to remember where she was. Then her gaze slowly rose and she registered Catra, and after a jolt her face relaxed again into a sleepy smile.

"Hey, Adora," Catra greeted her, voice scratching from disuse but smirking anyway. On a whim she reached over and brushed a loose lock of hair behind Adora's ear so that she could see her face clearly. Morning Adora was markedly less perfect-looking than the usual, put-together Adora, but she was no less beautiful. So what if that was cheesy? Catra was happy.

And Adora looked as if she might be, too. "Hey," she replied, resettling on the pillow with her hand propped under her head so she was on the same level as Catra. "Did you sleep okay?"

Catra giggled softly. "You kind of snore," she commented, which was answer enough.

Adora's eyes widened, and Catra was able to pick out the pattern in those steely irises. "Oh my gosh," she whined as she covered her face with her hands, embarrassed. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Catra laughed. She reached up and gently pulled Adora's hands away, coaxing her to meet her eyes. She didn't let go after. She gave the blonde a genuine little smile before adding lowly, "It was still the best night I've ever had."

Adora's face went slack. She seemed knocked a little breathless, which was all the more enrapturing to Catra while they lay mere inches from one another, but she didn't break their gaze. She struggled to find words. "I, uh…"

"You don't have to answer that," Catra dismissed with a short chuckle, letting Adora's hands go and lowering her eyes. _That was too much. I have to stop scaring her like this. _"I'm just being dramatic."

"No, it's—it's okay," murmured Adora. She scooted herself a little closer, reassuring, and Catra felt warmth replace her momentary rush of shame. This girl really was special. "So," she moved on with a hint of mischief in her tone, "what did you want to do today?"

Catra shrugged and showed one sharp canine in a half-smile, fully intending to be as difficult as possible. She was curious to see if Adora would be so hilariously easy to fluster after spending the night beside her. "I dunno. Pretty sure I could just lie here all day," she drawled. She pulled her blanket closer around her shoulders to demonstrate.

"That sounds like a plan," agreed Adora, then added, "at least until it stops raining." She paused to chew her lip, eyes childishly hopeful. "…And then maybe I could take you out on that date? A real one," she proposed. She still blushed, but not nearly as hard as before, which Catra counted as a step in the right direction.

She gave a contented hum in her throat, almost a purr. "Okay, princess," she conceded, and let her eyes slip closed, prepared to make good on her plan. She could still feel Adora's tension through the mattress, though, and knew she hadn't followed suit. _I wonder why. _She fought to keep a her heartbeat under control as she waited for the answer.

Adora couldn't contain herself for very long. Catra heard her swallow nervously before the words tumbled out: "Did you want to, uh…come here?"

Catra opened her eyes again to see the blonde spread her arms slightly; an invitation. She felt her own cheeks flare pink and gave Adora an unbridled grin—all the answer she needed. The blonde returned it.

Both of them shuffled nearer to each other, Catra turning her back to Adora's front, Adora closing the remaining distance to press their bodies together and running her hand up Catra's arm to her shoulder, where she squeezed affectionately. And—

As great as sleeping beside Adora had been, this was _so _much better.

Catra wasn't usually a huge fan of physical contact, but right now she felt safer than she ever had. She enjoyed the warmth of the other girl on her skin and the planes of her muscled curves against her back and the pressure of her hand on her arm. It made her feel _wanted. _It made her feel whole. She snuggled further into the embrace and sighed.

She wasn't sure why it caught her off guard when Adora slid her arm tentatively around her waist, but it did. It sent a ripple through her system that left her a little breathless. _Is this what love feels like? _her mind blurted, and she beat it quickly back. She was _not _ready for that. She was just touch-starved, that's all. She just hadn't known it till now.

She hadn't realized a lot of things until Adora showed up.

She moved her own hand to rest it over Adora's and felt the blonde relax. She tried to follow suit, because she genuinely was enjoying this, but her stupid heart wouldn't stop racing. If it got any more obvious, Adora would notice. She tried to focus on the feeling of the other girl's fingers beneath her own; the steady rise and fall of her chest against her back. She tried to slow her own to the same rhythm.

But, of course: "Your heart's beating really fast," Adora observed softly, her breath feathering against Catra's neck. And if anything, that made it worse.

Catra sighed and rolled over in her arms to face her, eyes half-lidded. "Why wouldn't it be?" she rasped, only half-teasing. When they lay like this, their legs tangled up, and Adora's blue-gray eyes were dangerously close. Of _course _she was buzzing with nervous excitement.

Adora looked appropriately flustered for half a second before genuine concern settled behind those beautiful eyes. "Are you okay with this?" she questioned gently, loosening her grip in case the answer was no.

"Yes, stupid," Catra answered instantly. And just to erase all doubt, she wrapped her own arms around Adora's toned middle and tucked her head into her chest. The fuzzy fabric of that fateful Bright Moon pullover cushioned her face. _Thank God for that stupid thing, _she thought, and melted into the comfort of Adora's returned embrace. Typically she would have been satisfied with leaving the rest nonverbal, but this was different. _This _she wanted to do right. So she lifted her chin to face her companion and made sure: "Are you?"

Adora's lips lifted in a still-sleepy smile and Catra couldn't keep her eyes from flitting to them, her ears burning as she was caught in the act. Adora only held her tighter. "Why wouldn't I be?" she whispered, leaning in to rest her cheek against the wild mane of Catra's hair.

And, honestly, this was _perfect_.

It was the best thing she'd ever felt in her life and that thought hit her like a freight train, punching all the air out of her chest at once. Adora _is the best thing I've ever felt, _she amended. A week ago she would have scoffed and said it was impossible to fall for somebody you'd only known for a few days, but now she never wanted to picture her life without this girl again_. Maybe soulmates are really a thing, _she dared think. _That would explain everything. _

Because, _man._

When she managed to suck a breath back in, it trembled violently.

Adora felt it. "Are you okay?" she whispered instantly into her ear, worried.

"Yeah, I'm—" Catra let out a shaky laugh and shook her head. She pressed her brow more firmly into Adora's collarbone; tightened her wiry arms around her. "I just—I'm not used to this," she admitted.

"Relationships?" asked the blonde, venturing one hand up to slide into her thick brown hair comfortingly.

Catra's eyes fluttered closed at the touch. "Healthy relationships," she specified. Another breath shuddered out of her as Adora's fingers combed through her tangles, scratching at her scalp. She couldn't stop a tiny plaintive noise from escaping her throat. She never wanted her to stop.

"Well," Adora murmured, and pulled back from Catra only enough to rest their foreheads together. Combined with the caress of her hands in her hair, Catra had never felt more loved. And she's pretty sure that's exactly what Adora had intended. "I'll do my best to change that, then."

She lifted her chin and kissed Catra softly between the eyebrows. "After all, we have plenty of time."


	3. Chapter 3

"My bladder is the size of a grape, I swear," Catra grumbled, pulling her ratty varsity jacket closer around her shoulders to weather the cold night air.

She was irritated that her stupid bodily functions were putting a hitch in her plans. It had already taken them longer than expected to get into downtown Bright Moon tonight, and now they had to scour the whole block for a bathroom, too, before getting to spend any actual time together. Well—they had spent the whole day together at Catra's apartment, but still. This was different.

Adora was peering around at each shopfront they passed, sharp blue-gray eyes flickering over the signs behind the glass. Catra guessed from her frustrated frown that what she found wasn't heartening. "All these places say bathrooms are for customers only," the blonde reported.

Catra sighed in disgust. Naturally she'd have to pay just to satisfy a biological necessity. Too bad she didn't have much of a choice. "Let's find the place with the cheapest stuff, then," she conceded sourly. She knew that that would be a feat, since everything was pricier in Bright Moon, even in this little corner of city counterculture.

For their first official date they had decided to visit an eccentric little section of Bright Moon's downtown, Mystacor, which was right in the heart of the city yet self-contained enough to feel like its own piece of the world. The roads were narrow but full of fast-moving traffic, the sidewalks poorly lit but well populated with hipsters, goths, burnouts, artists, and every combination thereof. The stores that lined both sides of the street were mostly just little holes in one big brick wall. The odd bar or clothing warehouse stood alone, and more often than not all four sides of these islands were streaked with graffiti.

Adora had suggested it because she'd often passed the place by on the way to and from the Bright Moon campus, and the vibe of it had seemed alluring to her. She'd hoped that Catra might feel the same way.

_That was in the daytime, _she'd explained as a kind of disclaimer after they'd gotten here and discovered that the whole place smelled of weed and the occasional unwashed body. But, it still managed to maintain its intrigue. The shops lining the street were mostly vintage, satirical or new age-themed establishments, which promised a wide variety of cool stuff to browse through. Catra's eye had caught especially on a genuine skate shop, and Adora kept glancing back toward a record store they'd passed on the way in.

Right now, though, their quarry was something cheap, and the most promising store nearby seemed to be a family-run coffee place with a sign that smacked of Andy Warhol.

"Let's try that," Adora suggested, nodding toward it and nudging Catra with her shoulder to shepherd her forward.

Catra complied, trying to keep her mind off of the sweetness of that simple contact as she crossed the distance to the store. It was easier to stay distracted when her bladder was near to busting.

Once inside, she barely had time to appreciate the welcome relief from the cold before she was making a beeline for the seedy metal door at the back, labeled _restroom _in fat Sharpie ink. As if by some silent agreement, while she rushed to do her business Adora distracted the owner at the front with an order for coffee.

The bathroom was dark and cramped and the lock was wobbly enough that it made her anxious that a stranger could barge in at any moment, but honestly she'd braved worse. She finished up quickly and double-washed her hands just in case.

When she emerged feeling infinitely better, she easily spotted Adora at one of the two-seater tables against the painted brick of one wall, since she was one of only three customers in the store. Catra wove through the other tables to get to her, drinking in the sight of her casually draped form, wondering how exactly she still managed to look this good under the crappy fluorescent lights. Something in her was markedly proud to call _this _flawless girl _her _date tonight.

She schooled her expression into something minimally compromising before she reached Adora's table and drew the blonde's gaze up to her face.

"Hey." Adora beamed as if they had been apart for way longer than a simple bathroom visit. She pushed a covered styrofoam cup across the table toward the empty other seat, and Catra accepted both. "I wasn't sure if you liked coffee so I got you hot chocolate," she explained, watching Catra eye the unmarked cup. "Is that okay?"

Catra glanced up to give her a small, reassuring smile. "It's perfect. I'm not much of a coffee fan anyway," she shared. She cradled the drink between her slightly damp hands to warm them (there hadn't been any paper towels in the dim little bathroom) and lowered her gaze again. "There's just one problem."

Adora's brows furrowed instantly, a little gleam of panic coming into her eyes as she prepared to remedy whatever the issue was, but Catra soothed her with a smirk over the rim of her cup as she raised it to drink. "You can't just go and buy me things, Adora. I'm going to pay you back."

The blonde's face cleared in relief, only to quickly cloud back over with indignance. "Nuh-uh! It's on me," she insisted, crossing her arms firmly. "I dragged you out here with me, so I might as well make it worth your while."

"Are you bribing me into enjoying your company with hot chocolate?" Catra wondered in mock disbelief.

"Maybe," Adora huffed, half teasing and half defensive, as if she wasn't quite sure if that was so unfeasible.

Catra chuckled deep in her throat and sipped at her drink. It made warmth bloom in her chest, mimicking the feeling Adora herself stirred in her. "That won't be necessary," she assured. She licked her lips to savor the lingering taste of chocolate and watched Adora's eyes flicker down to catch the motion. Catra couldn't help but smile.

That must have made Adora realize that she was staring, because she abruptly cleared her throat and turned her attention to her own drink: a coffee, but generously diluted with milk and flavoring. Catra suppressed her laugh, not wanting to embarrass Adora any further. Not this time. Right now all she wanted to do was enjoy the other girl's warm, sweet company as they drank their warm, sweet drinks.

That's what they did for the next five or so minutes as they worked toward the bottoms of their styrofoam cups. Catra's hot chocolate was excellent, and she tried to make it last as long as possible, but the stuff was practically addicting. She found herself finishing her cup at the same time Adora did. The blonde had a hint of a milk mustache, and the two of them shared a playful grin as she wiped it away with her wrist.

"Ready to go?" she asked once she was done.

Catra hummed an affirmative and gathered her empty cup and patted the deep pockets of her jacket to make sure her valuables were all there. Then she followed Adora to a standing position and nudged her chair in with her knee, looking up expectantly. "Where are we off to?" This had been Adora's choice, after all.

But the blonde shrugged as she took Catra's trash to the disposal for her, ever the gentlewoman. "Wherever you want." The amiable smile that she flashed over her shoulder made the warmth in Catra's chest spread until she was fairly buzzing with it.

"You're the expert," Catra returned with a shrug of her own. "Surprise me."

"Hmm," replied A, pursing her lips in thought. There was a pause as she pushed through the exit door and held it for Catra before burying her own hands in her jeans pockets against the sudden drop in temperature. Then she craned her neck to look both ways and motioned to her left with a tilt of her head, "There's some cool stuff down that way." Catra followed her gesture to scan the length of the street, where crowded rows of stores peered out from the grimy brick facade. A few signs glowed, but most didn't. Like the rest of the area, it was charming, but sketchy enough for Catra to be glad a tall, built blonde was with her tonight. That blonde angled a smirk her way before adding, "I'm sure we can find something that tickles your fancy."

That comment caught Catra off guard, but she gathered her wits quickly and put on a fake offended face. "Adora!" she gasped. "Bold, talking about tickling my fancy on only our first date!"

The innuendo had the intended effect of setting Adora's cheeks on fire, and she nearly choked. Catra burst into cackles of mirth and bumped her shoulder reassuringly. "Just screwing with you, Adora," she disclaimed. Then she paused and tacked on wickedly, "You're welcome to tickle my fancy anytime."

"Catra!" Adora yelped indignantly as her companion doubled over in another peal of laughter. When Catra showed no signs of remorse, she scoffed and shook her head, grumbling, "I can't believe I'm on a date with a degenerate."

"'Cause you _like _me," Catra straightened up to prod, lips curled in a childish grin as she enjoyed Adora's suffering. She was so caught up in teasing Adora in that moment, she didn't even spare a thought to agonizing over the nature of their relationship like she usually did. She was just having _fun _for once. And judging by the way Adora sent her a put-upon sideways look even as her lips twitched upward, Catra thought maybe the same was true for her.

"Lucky me," the blonde still pretended to groan. Her eye roll would have been more convincing had the blue not been sparkling affectionately.

Catra let her giggles trail off into a contented silence as they walked beside each other down the dingy Mystacor sidewalk. Although it was cold, and Catra was suspicious of the shadows living beyond the reach of the streetlights, she realized that this was the best she had felt in a long time. This seemed _right _somehow, like she was meant to be treading the pavement with her lovely new companion tonight. Meant to be braving the world beside her.

It felt like they were meant to be together.

And in her head she knew that was silly, but her _heart _—

She'd deal with that eventually.

Right now, she felt lighter than air, and all she wanted was to be close to Adora.

As they walked, she bumped into the blonde's side more times than could be passed off as accidental. She could make the excuse that it was to glean some warmth from the other girl, since her jacket was not doing enough to cut the chilly breeze, but the tingle that shot through her gut every time it happened told the real truth.

After a healthy handful of these passing nudges, Adora looked down at her and noticed the way she was hunched into her hood, shivering (she _was _cold, in all honesty). "Don't tell me I need to lend you my jacket again," she joked with a crooked little grin, which ended up clumsy on her cold lips.

Her giddy bravado beginning to fade under the prospect of _actual _progress in their relationship, Catra muttered a weak declination into her shirt. She could feel Adora regarding her sympathetically, and the heat of her gaze was nice, but Catra was suddenly torn between wanting to melt under it or guard herself from it.

Adora must have taken pity on her one way or another, because after a brief beat she extended her arm toward Catra slightly. "May I?"

Catra's eyes cut toward her sharply. Here was her usual nervousness, back to rearing its ugly head again. She hated it—as much as she tried to reason away her fear of being vulnerable, she always settled back into it eventually. For so long, it had been her refuge. Her safety net. The only thing keeping her from heartbreak after heartbreak. So now, even though she and Adora had already touched and cuddled and _slept_ _beside _ each other, for heaven's sake, the prospect of real contact now made her cheeks flush.

She _did _want it, of course, deep down. It was just, her brain kept reminding her, that this girl was so _new. _Catra hadn't had the chance to learn this territory yet, and experience was enough to convince her that it was risky to move forward into the unknown.

But Adora was warm and frankly, Adora was wonderful, so despite her deepest instincts, Catra let her heart win this time. She nodded.

Adora slid her arm carefully around Catra's shorter frame, hand coming to rest respectfully on her upper hip to tug her closer. And, although walking was a little awkward this way, it was much more pleasant for Catra to be bundled into the warm side of her companion. Adora's arm around her was an added plus—even if it made her mind short-circuit ever so slightly, it made her feel cared for and secure. It quieted that nasty voice in her head that told her to close herself off from her emotions—temporarily, at least.

That was enough for now.

"Thanks," she murmured as she leaned further into the embrace.

She felt Adora glance at her and hazarded a look up at that radiant face, telling herself the blonde's cheeks were probably just pink because of the cold. "Of course," she said softly. Her hand ascended momentarily to rub affectionately against Catra's bicep, and then dropped back down. Catra shuddered, nerves uncoiling; this girl's touch was the most powerful medicine she had ever known.

They walked for a minute longer until Adora slowed them to a stop at a crosswalk, whose signal currently glared at them with the _don't walk _hand as if the cars speeding by weren't deterrent enough. "It's right across there," Adora explained, pointing to a storefront, brick like all the rest, with an array of odds and baubles displayed behind the windows.

Although the clutter inside bothered her slightly, Catra was distracted from Adora for a moment as the intrigue of all the _stuff _the place featured drew her in. As soon as the crosswalk signal deigned to let them pass, Catra practically towed Adora across to get a better look. Peering in the windows at close range, she could see everything from magnets with witty sayings on them to plants to stuffed animals to wall-sized tapestries of pride flags and Nick Cage's face (not together; although that certainly would have—as Adora would put it—tickled her fancy).

The blonde laughed as Catra pulled her toward the door impatiently, now fully interested in what this odd little place had to offer.

"You like it then, huh?" she said with a light squeeze of Catra's side as they stepped across the clunky wooden threshold into the forest of offbeat souveniers.

"I…" Catra tipped her head back to gawk at a ten-foot-tall wooden display full of nothing but hand-knitted socks patterned with weed leaves. "I don't know if I like this or if I'm really uncomfortable," she admitted.

Adora hummed in agreement and remarked, "I think that's the point." Then she fixed Catra with a more serious look, still soft around the edges. "We can try a different place if you're weirded out, though," she allowed gently.

Catra fought down the pleasant tickle in her gut that Adora's caring kindness never failed to give her. "No, it's okay," she declined, leaning into Adora's side to punctuate her decision. "I think it's better when I have someone to face it with."

The glowing smile that spread across Adora's face at that was just a little too raw for Catra, so she quickly disentangled herself from her grip and moved along, berating herself for getting too sappy again, and then berating herself for pulling away. Was she going to trap herself in this hellish limbo of holding Adora at arm's length forever? That wasn't fair. To either of them.

_I don't know what to do, okay? _she growled at her frustratingly reasonable inner voice.

Then, to draw both of their focus away, she gravitated toward a rotating rack full of kitchen towels with crude catchphrases on them. "Hey Adora, check this out," she giggled wickedly, tugging on one that said, _how about a bowl of 'I don't give a shit'? _"It's me!"

Adora tried to give a disapproving sigh that lost its edge to a laugh. She came up behind Catra to peruse the rest of the rack, and the brunette tried hard not to let herself lean back into the comforting touch of her body. She must not have been very successful, because she could _hear _ the smirk in Adora's voice as she said, "No, I think _this _is you," and pointed to one that said _Let's… _with a picture of a spoon beneath.

Catra bristled instantly, feeling her face flame. "Hey!" she protested, jerking away from the other girl again, fully ready to retreat into defense mode if the blonde was criticizing her, but—

Adora's hands caught her biceps gently and kept her from pulling away too far. Her laugh ruffled Catra's wild hair and when she leaned close, her words warmed her ear: "Don't worry. There's nothing wrong with that."

Catra was almost surprised by her tenderness. She was new to this kind of thing, after all. But something about it reached straight to the core of her insecurity and began to unwind the angry knot there, allowing the tension to ease from her limbs. Allowing her to relax and melt back into Adora without fear of judgment, no matter how hard her touch made her heart pound. The other girl's arms drifted down to wrap around her waist in return.

"Is this okay?" Adora checked softly in her ear, the hoarse note in her voice making Catra shiver slightly.

She didn't trust her voice as much as she trusted Adora, so she just nodded. She was gratified by the slight tightening of her companion's arms around her.

And, despite all Catra's intentions to guard her heart from falling too fast for this girl—_shit, _she would not be able to hold out for long at this rate. A part of her wasn't really afraid of that, though. That part felt more secure in Adora's arms than she had in a whole lifetime without her. That had to mean something, right? _Someone _had to be worth taking a risk for eventually, right? Why not Adora?

Catra let her fingers curl around the blonde's hands and squeezed.

…

One of them left the odds shop with a tiny potted venus flytrap, and the other with a pair of weed socks. You're welcome to guess which was which.

After wandering the darkened streets again until their hands went numb from cold, the pair took shelter in a cramped little clothing store on the west side of the road; one of the only places left with its lights still on, even though it was only about 9:30.

"I thought more stores would still be open this late," Catra grumbled as she pulled her hood off and shook out her wild hair. The atmosphere in the place smelled so strongly of cigarette smoke that it made Catra's eyes burn, and she blinked away stinging tears. "I mean, it's downtown Bright Moon on a weekend."

"The bars are open," offered Adora wryly, "but I wasn't sure if that was really your thing." She reached out and fixed the collar of Catra's varsity jacket, which had curled wrong under her hood.

A shock ran through Catra at the unexpected touch. To hide it, she smirked up at Adora, cocking an eyebrow mischievously. "I wouldn't be opposed to it," she admitted. "As long as I had a tall, buff blonde to keep the pervs off my back."

Adora chuckled and regarded her with fond blue eyes, chewing her lip—flirtatiously? Catra tried desperately to keep her eyes from drifting to it, but this girl made her _weak _and Catra could tell she knew it. "You would," the blonde assured her with a flash of a pearl-white grin.

_Oh, man, _Catra's mind lamented helplessly. _Yeah. I am definitely screwed. _

She didn't have a good comeback to dilute the impact of Adora's thinly veiled promise, so she just mumbled, "Thanks, dork," and tried to keep from kissing her into next week right then and there. To suppress the impulse, she turned away again and shifted her attention to the rest of the store, wondering how many more times she would have to do that before she grew a pair and let herself _feel _.

She had to crane her neck to take in the tall, narrow racks stretching from floor to ceiling, filled to groaning with clothes of all shapes, sizes, and colors. She ventured a few steps down one aisle and found that in the thick of so much fabric, all sound was dampened within a foot of its source.

"Wow," she remarked under her breath. "Where does all this stuff even come from?" She ran her hand idly over the wide assortment of vestments as she passed, scanning up and down them for anything that caught her eye. Something did: the racks were sorted by color, and the black section was just at the end of the row. She drifted toward it automatically.

She was just eyeing a sweet leather jacket on the top rack when Adora's voice sounded behind her: "Want to play a game?"

Catra jumped, not having heard her approach. Damn this sound-sucking cloth fortress! She turned quickly, trying to look like her companion hadn't just scared the wits out of her, and bluffed, "Oh, no. What did you have in mind?"

Adora's spreading grin did nothing to assuage her dread. "We go down every aisle and pick out an article of clothing from each," she began. Catra nodded along, not liking where this was going at all, and Adora continued with a pleased glow rising to her cheeks, "and at the end we have to go try on what the other picked."

Catra let her hands fall to her sides limply, staring at Adora with a dead expression. As much as that sunny look on Adora's face made her want to bend to the girl's every whim, her pride was determined to keep her from making a complete fool of herself. "Do we have to show each other?" she asked.

"Obviously," replied Adora, leaning close enough to Catra to bump her shoulder entreatingly.

Catra narrowed her eyes at her. Adora wanted her to pick her out some clothes, huh? Maybe there was still hope for her to get something out of this public humiliation of a challenge after all. Adora didn't seem like the type to take advantage of the opportunity and force her into something wacky or, worse, risqué, but Catra—

She held no such qualms.

"All right," Catra conceded all of a sudden, smiling so that her eyes sparked mischievously. "You're on."

Adora brightened, no notion in her mind that she was walking right into a trap. "Meet you back here once you find something?" she suggested, and Catra _almost _felt sympathetic enough to change her mind before things started their steady roll downhill, but the little devil on her shoulder won out.

"Sure," she agreed smoothly, "but I am only subjecting myself to this once!" That, at least, was a compromise she expected them both to appreciate later.

Adora just gave her a dopey grin and excitedly struck off into the heart of the store, whose smothering racks swallowed her instantly. Catra sighed fondly, shook her head, and turned on her heel to head in the opposite direction.

She already had an eye out for the most uncomfortable, over-the-top, _weirdly _sexy pieces she could find.

Her poor Bright Moon jock had no idea what she was getting herself into.

…

"Do I really _have _to come out wearing this?"

Catra chose to let Adora off the hook on that little mischoice of words—just this once. Instead of commenting, she leaned against the carpeted support beam in front of the fitting stalls and inspected her chipped black nails remorselessly, calling, "Your rules," over the door behind which Adora hid.

Catra herself was decked out in a ruffly, black, low-cut pirate shirt which she'd left untied at the chest just to punish Adora for her decision (the blonde's instantly blazing cheeks had almost made up for Catra's resentment of this whole idea). Her legs were snugly encased in a pair of silver leggings patterned with holographic rainbow flecks, and as much as those rode uncomfortably high in the seam, she had to admit (grudgingly, of course) that she did kind of dig them. On her feet were clunky black combat boots studded at the tips, which she guessed Adora had picked out as a joke but actually fit her dream aesthetic pretty spot-on. The overall impression was that of a mid-emo phase Han Solo in drag. There were worse fates, she figured.

Regardless, Catra had suffered through her turn, and now it was Adora's.

With a heavy sigh and a clatter of the aged lock on the fitting room door, the unwilling bombshell blonde herself finally emerged. She had her shoulders tensed up and her hands fiddling by her sides and her face twisted into a mask of regret, exactly as Catra had intended.

But _damn, _did she look _fine. _

Catra had held herself back from being _too _ridiculously embarrassing with the choices she pulled from the racks, but Adora's outfit was still meant to make her think twice about suggesting anything like this again.

She was dressed up in tight leather pants that brought out every single curve of her muscles and hips, and a matching leather choker that was closer to a bondage toy than anything. Paired with it was a swanky, shiny silver shirt with most of the back cut out under the collar, leaving the rippling planes of her back open to the world. If Catra looked like a butchered Han Solo, Adora was her space stripper companion.

The silver shirt didn't fit quite right even with the cutout, as it was stretched across Adora's broad shoulders and struggling against her chest (although that was attractive in its own right), but Catra was already figuring out in her head how to remedy that for just the right effect.

"How do you look good in that?" the stunning blonde complained as she eyed Catra, rolling her shoulders uncomfortably and only serving to stretch the shirt worse. "This is too tight."

Catra decided to skip right over that first part in the interest of keeping her core temperature within a healthy range. "No it's not. Look," she said instead, stepping perhaps closer to Adora than was necessary to reach for her collar.

She unbuttoned the top three buttons, careful to keep her knuckles from brushing the blonde's now-exposed collarbones or—God forbid—the cleft of her breasts. Just the thought of that made her ears burn. She moved on quickly, switching her attention to Adora's sleeves, which she rolled up just below her elbows.

Catra knew that when she looked up she'd be in for a mind-frying experience, but when she actually raised her eyes, the two of them were much closer than she'd expected. From here, not only did Adora cut a dashing figure in the ridiculous costume, but her _face_—

Catra stared up into those soft blue-gray eyes before letting her gaze drift over the rest of Adora's expression, noting the slight curve of her lips, the quirk of one dark eyebrow, the feather of her long eyelashes. Apparently she'd gotten over her exasperation at Catra's outfit choice quickly, because right now the look in her eyes at their proximity was positively _melting_.

The realization that one simple look could make Catra feel the way she was feeling: weak-kneed, nervous, hot in the middle—unsettled her more than she liked.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she questioned with a healthy dose of forced snark, tugging on the front of Adora's shirt like a little rebuke.

Somehow that expression just intensified. "Like what?" chuckled Adora lightly.

"Like…like _that! _" Catra waved a hand at Adora's face as her mind struggled to come up with a worthy description. "Like you know something I don't."

The blonde laughed again, but it mellowed into little more than a hum in her throat. Her smile grew just enough to make her steely eyes sparkle. "It's not that," she assured. Then she looked down, studying her toes and chewing her lip as if she'd suddenly lost the resolve that had let her hold Catra's burning eyes this whole time. Strands of gold fell around her face and Catra felt the need to reach up and brush a few back, as if to reassure her somehow. Adora raised her gaze again under her touch and her smile came back. "This is just my happy face."

Catra froze for a split second, a little taken aback. Then she snorted. "Bullshit, Adora; you've been looking like that all night."

"Exactly," the blonde murmured, almost so low she didn't hear.

Catra suddenly found it harder to breathe. Her heartbeat kicked up and deafened her. Her palms went cold. She had to clear her constricted throat before she could get out any words. "I make you happy?" she realized weakly.

Rather than answer, Adora just smiled softly at her. Although, at the same time, that was more than answer enough.

Catra was going to have an aneurysm. "Ugh, Adora, you can't go saying things like that!" she exclaimed, busying herself with smoothing down the front of Adora's shirt as a distraction, except it probably did more harm than good considering it placed Adora's alluring body directly beneath her palms. "I'm trying _not _to fall for you instantly," she finally forced out past her collapsing nerves. Maybe if she told Adora how confused she was, some magic switch would flip and make the feeling go away. It took a lot for her to meet those blue-gray eyes. "Don't you see that?"

Adora looked taken aback for a second. Her eyes were wide; struck, but not hurt. Then, slowly, her expression melted into one of raw, thorough care. The way she looked at Catra made the brunette want to rip her heart out and give it to her, because surely Adora would know what to do with it better than she. How could she be so _tender _when Catra had done nothing but push her away thus far? How could she be so—so—_perfect? _

"Why?" that golden-haired angel asked finally.

"Because—" started Catra sharply, then took a deep, steadying breath and let it out. When she tried again, her voice was calmer, gentle. "Because I don't know you yet, Adora," she admitted lamely, staring at her feet. She couldn't meet those kindly eyes or she would melt. "And I've been burned before, okay?"

Even without looking, Catra could hear Adora take a long breath of her own. Her following sigh wasn't impatient or annoyed, though; rather, sympathetic. And then, to Catra's great relief, her next words were, "I understand."

All the air rushed out of Catra's lungs, because—it had been so _long _since someone even _tried _to understand. It had been too long since anyone _cared _. But now, here was Adora, making Catra fall further and further for her using nothing but the sheer goodness of her heart.

The blonde stepped closer and placed her hands gently, soothingly, on Catra's arms. "I don't expect you to trust me right away, and I won't force you into anything you're not comfortable with," she said without the tenderness in her eyes ever wavering, "but I also want you to know that I will never hurt you on purpose, Catra. I promise."

Catra laughed a little brokenly, and she wasn't sure if it was fear or joy that caught in her throat at Adora's words. Whatever it was, it made her blurt before she could think: "There you go again, making me want to kiss you senseless."

"You—?" Red rushed to Adora's face, but the softness in her eyes and around her mouth didn't change. As Catra started to stammer an apology; to backpedal from that half-thought-out admission, Adora caught her hands gently, stopping her short. She looked down at the point of contact, and then back up at the other girl seriously. "Let me ask you something, Catra."

The brunette regarded her openly, a little wistfully, _frustrated _with the conflict within herself. She _wanted _to be with Adora, but life had taught her that her best feature should be a heart well-hardened. Did her feelings win out over her logic? Did her heart trump her jaded mind? The fact that she was still struggling with this indecision told her that Adora meant more to her than anyone had in a long time. That maybe she was better than the rest.

As if Adora had been reading her mind, the next words out of her mouth were, "Can you trust yourself?"

At Catra's long pause, she must have gotten nervous, because she plowed on: "I mean, you have to give your heart some credit, right? If you feel a certain way, maybe it's because you're meant to."

Catra sighed helplessly and bowed her head again. "I don't know, Adora," she sighed, because if she asked herself whether her heart deserved any credit, the answer would be _no, _but Adora probably had something much different to say about it.

Another silence passed, but on Adora's end this time. Catra didn't dare raise her head for fear of what she would find on her companion's face. Adora didn't let go of her hands, though. On the contrary, she held them tighter, running her thumbs tentatively over knobby tan knuckles. When she finally spoke, her voice was rough and barely audible. "Okay, Catra. I won't press you. But…if you do decide you want to kiss me…" She trailed off to clear her throat, and then took a deep breath. "I certainly won't stop you."

At that revelation, Catra's eyes wrenched back to hers.

There was a _whole _lot that could be unpacked from Adora's last few sentences, but the storm of Catra's emotion was growing too near the surface for her to think clearly. All she could do was stare at her companion's pretty lips like a moron while snippets of dialogue bounced around her head:

_I will never hurt you. _

_I understand. _

_You have to give your heart some credit. _

_I won't stop you. _

What had Catra ever done to deserve a chance with a woman like _this? _

In the end, it was the words Adora had spoken at the end of her initial assurance—_I promise_—that struck a chord within her. They reverberated through her and shook her defenses and crumbled the places where her walls were most vulnerable—that is, wherever Adora was concerned.

And they made her realize that maybe Adora was right. Maybe it was about time Catra started trusting herself. Maybe she _did _feel this way because she was meant to. It had been a long time since she'd been hurt. Did she really want to live this way forever, hiding herself away from any and all risk of pain, because of her past? Did she really expect that to be _living? _Now, holding Adora's lovely blue eyes, she thought maybe the answer was no.

Maybe Adora could be her first step toward healing. Maybe Adora could be her redemption.

If nothing else, maybe Adora was worth her trust.

No—there was no _maybe _about that. Adora _was _worth her trust.

She was worth everything.

So who was Catra to withhold it from her for the sake of an old fear, long since proved moot?

If she was going to try, who else better to try for than Adora?

Catra felt the shaky beginnings of a smile rise to her face, and a fresh kind of passion to her heart. A freer one. One that filled her up with burning warmth and drew her toward the girl in front of her like they were entwined by fate (because, maybe they were). One that allowed her the courage she'd been fighting away this whole time.

So Catra pulled her hands free from Adora's, and before the blonde's face could fall too far in disappointment, brought them to the other girl's waist.

She pushed her back gently; a step, and then two. A few inches more and she stood within the fitting stall, Catra between her and the door. The brunette leaned back until she was pressed against it, easing it closed with a decisive _click. _

She dragged her gaze up to Adora's sparkling blue orbs, taking in the sight of the rest of her as she went, thinking that stupid costume made her look even more beautiful. At the look Adora returned her, Catra's smile became just a little more confident, a little more crooked. She bit her lip, deciding that this was _overwhelmingly _favorable to suppressing her feelings for the sake of fleeting safety.

Because some people had to be worth the risk.

"Okay," she replied finally, letting one canine catch on her lower lip as she was torn between a grin and a nervous habit.

And she reached behind her without breaking eye contact and locked the door.

At the motion, the flush on Adora's face deepened and spread, and Catra could hear her breath hitch. She pulled back just enough to look her squarely in the eyes again and breathed, because it was the _least _she could do for this girl who had turned her life on its head, "Is this okay?"

Adora's jaw clenched with resolve as she held Catra's mismatched gaze. One of her hands came up and brushed the brunette's cheek, tenderly, almost reverently. "It's more than okay," she responded with conviction. Her breath breezed against Catra's lips with the promise as the two leaned close again, and Catra let her eyes drift closed and a smile climb onto her face.

"Then let's do this already, princess," she egged breathlessly.

Adora leaned down to happily oblige her at the same time Catra rose up on her toes to let their lips collide.

Catra sighed contentedly into her mouth as the contact felt like coming home.

Adora's arms came around her and pulled her flush to her front so she could deepen the kiss, her lips caressing Catra's like every kind word she'd ever spent on her packaged into a single touch.

They fit together like puzzle pieces, each giving where the other took and providing where the other had need. Catra was addicted instantly to the taste and the feel of it. She pushed into Adora's body, sliding her hands up that exposed back and into her shining blonde hair to tangle Adora in her grasp and never let go.

_This _was what freedom felt like.

She never wanted to let her fear win again; not if this was what it was keeping her from.

She leaned into her gleaming gem from Bright Moon and captured her lips with fresh fervor. Adora returned the gesture just as enthusiastically, and the door rattled as she pinned Catra's hips back against its surface. They shared a sheepish laugh in the sliver of space between them before their mouths came inevitably together again, and the next few moments were lost in a haze of absolute euphoria.

All too soon, the blonde broke away to shift her lips to Catra's cheek, loving along its curve softly. She was breathing hard, the stream of air breezing pleasantly across Catra's skin. "This places closes in five minutes, you know," she reminded her between kisses with a fond little laugh.

Catra hummed in discontent and tilted her head to chase after Adora's mouth again. "You think they'll kick us out?" she mumbled against hot, reddened lips.

The blonde consented to another kiss before breaking away for a breath and pointing out, "We're still wearing their merchandise."

"Maybe they'll let us keep it."

"Doubtful," Adora chuckled wryly, "but…at least we got something out of this trip, huh?" She looked down at her companion, playful warmth in her blue eyes. One of her hands twirled a lock of brown mane between her fingers.

"Yeah," Catra hummed. She rested her head against the taller girl's chest and hugged her around the middle. Adora's familiar scent filled her nose, and she sighed it out again contentedly, snuggling closer to her strong form. "Thanks, stupid," she said into her sternum.

The blonde moved her hand to the back of Catra's head and began stroking through her hair soothingly. "For which part?"

Catra found her fingers curling into the fabric of Adora's shirt as she enjoyed that touch. She was enjoying everything, really. The warmth of the other girl against her. The fact that they could spend a night out together like this. The tug on her heart that only Adora could cause. The realization that it felt _good _to be vulnerable with her like this. That it had felt good to kiss her. To trust her.

She wanted to do it again. All of it.

And, like they'd said: they had plenty of time.

"Yes," she murmured simply.

…


	4. Chapter 4

Adora was beginning to resent the fact that their apartment's only TV was in Bow's room.

Cuddling during a movie with your tentative romantic interest was markedly less titillating when you had to do it on your roommate's bed. But Catra had wanted to get away from her so-called Super Pal Trio (now including Perfuma, Scorpia's new girlfriend, which technically made it a quartet but Scorpia couldn't be convinced to change the name) for the day, and it was raining _again, _so they were stuck here.

It wasn't unpleasant, especially since Bow and Glimmer were at their afternoon pilates class so Adora and Catra had the whole place to themselves, but it wasn't ideal. It was even less ideal considering Adora had intended for this to be the day she brought up a rather weighty topic. She'd planned to do it over a nice dinner after a day of hiking or something to achieve the perfect mix of companionship, endorphins and exhaustion needed to set the mood (read: make Catra the least likely to reject her), but this would have to do.

Adora had chosen a romantic movie to make up the difference. She and Catra sat half-up against Bow's teakwood headboard, shoulders pressed together, Catra's hand loosely woven through the curve of Adora's elbow as they watched.

It was comfortable. It was familiar.

It was also different, now. That was much of the reason Adora had picked out today as The Day.

Catra had changed since they'd first met on that rainy day at the bus stop. Don't get Adora wrong; it was a good change, but she hadn't quite been able to wrap her head around it yet.

In the beginning, Catra had been prickly and hard to predict, even when on the surface she and Adora were on good terms—great, even. It seemed like every time they touched (or even were _about _to touch) she would unconsciously tense up like she was expecting it to burn her. Adora had tried to be as understanding and patient as possible in showing Catra that she didn't need to be so guarded all the time, but in truth, she had no idea what to do. She was afraid that any strategy besides giving Catra time would backfire spectacularly. She craved Catra's trust but didn't trust herself to earn it. As if _that _made any sense on paper. That was a recurring theme, Adora thought: the two of them were just two big bundles of contradiction.

But it was getting better. She was learning to understand Catra, and Catra was learning to let her in. Adora figured that it had a lot to do with the many dates they'd been on since that first one to Mystacor; the time they'd gotten to spend getting to know one another.

That and the influence of Perfuma, who besides being an absolute pillar of positivity also happened to be a practicing therapist (a _personal guide, _in her own terms). Though Perfuma and Catra functioned at starkly opposite ends of the spectrum, they seemed to have forged an odd kind of bond during Perfuma's regular visits to the Horde students' apartment. The flower girl seemed to be able to see right past Catra's thorny exterior in a way even Adora at first could not. She always knew the right thing to say to barrel right past it to the heart of the issue, and though Catra wasn't paying her for her therapeutic advice, they absolutely could have been mistaken for counselor and client.

Adora had only picked up on this curious dynamic by her own observation, because Catra wouldn't dream of opening up about her feelings unless coerced, of course. But based on what she'd heard, Adora had the tentative hope that that would soon change, too.

The last time she'd been over to Catra's, Scorpia and Perfuma had been there too, making chakra diffusing bracelets (whatever those were) together while Beat Bobby Flay played on the TV in the background. Catra was playing Animal Crossing on Entrapta's Switch with her head in Adora's lap, and Adora was trying to resist the urge to get up to find a snack (cooking shows made her hungry). It was comfortable, as things had been since Mystacor, but it wasn't yet effortless the way Adora wished it would be. There was still a faint air of tension around Catra that she couldn't seem to chase off, barring Adora from trying anything too mushy like tickling her where her _Wild Cat _crop top left her midriff exposed.

They sat that way for a while, Catra absorbed in Entrapta's game, Adora stuck in her own head as was habit at times like this. It was when Adora finally gave in to temptation and headed for the pantry that something really interesting happened.

Almost the second she left the room, she heard Perfuma's gentle voice pipe up behind her, pitched low like she was about to impart a secret. "Hey, Catra?" she began, and instantly Adora's interest was piqued. What did Perfuma have to say that she didn't want Adora to hear? The blonde stopped and backtracked toward the entrance to the common room on silent sock feet, leaning against the wall just out of sight but within earshot. Perfuma went on to ask, "May I give you a few words of wisdom that have been weighing on my heart?"

"Uh…sure, flower girl," came Catra's cautious response. Even that much was evidence that she was working on her issues: she no longer shot down any attempt to bond with someone besides Adora.

Perfuma went on, "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I've been sensing some sort of…block between you and Adora." _Block? What block? _Adora wondered in a panic, trying to keep from bursting back into the room with that demand spilling from her lips. Catra's matching protest died as if Perfuma had raised her hand reassuringly. "Nothing that can't be fixed," the therapist said. "I just wanted to tell you that I know that it's hard keeping your heart open. It makes you vulnerable, but it doesn't make you weak. In fact, it's well worth it." Here Perfuma paused thoughtfully and lowered her voice further so Adora strained to hear. "I want to see your relationship with Adora blossom into something beautiful, and I know you do too. So maybe…give openness a try. Okay?"

There was a longer pause, during which Adora could imagine any number of reactions from Catra, none of them good. She wrung her hands in the silence, anxious. But when the brunette spoke up, she didn't sound angry or offended or hurt. She rather just seemed…tired. "Can you read minds or something, flower girl?" she asked on a sigh.

And, as unnerving as it had been to hear Perfuma's out-of-the-blue diagnosis, it was even more of a shock to know that she'd been right on the money. And Catra was _admitting _that.

Adora was torn between the ache of sympathy for Catra's struggle and the rush of hope that maybe this would be the catalyst for things to change. Maybe that tension would dissipate for good, finally. Maybe she and Catra would be able to just _trust _each other, finally. Maybe they could have that unnamable something that had been hovering on the edge of Adora's awareness recently, always out of reach.

And it had happened, sort of.

Catra hadn't actually _told _Adora about that encounter, but its effects sent ripples through their interactions like you wouldn't believe. It seemed almost to have banished the lingering traces of uncertainty that always showed whenever she and Catra got close.

The Horde student seemed instead to make a concerted effort to be more open, like Perfuma had recommended, allowing herself to laugh and love and _live _without falling prey to that old inhibition that always seemed to plague her. Adora could see in her face every time she stopped and made the conscious decision to relax instead of closing herself off, and it made her indescribably proud. Only, she couldn't tell Catra that, because she wasn't supposed to know that Catra was doing it in the first place. She just did her best to tell her with tender touches and looks, subtly encouraging her to continue.

So continue Catra did. And gradually she got used to choosing vulnerability; to Adora's quiet affirmations, until she no longer had to pause and think about it every time. That's what made this date different. Catra had been totally open and comfortable since walking through the door, and to Adora it felt like a weight off her chest—a huge step toward that _something _she wanted so badly. It reinforced her decision to make today The Day.

And it was getting close to time.

The movie had also coincidentally just transitioned into a sex scene, but that wasn't really the backdrop she'd been going for.

Catra found it way more amusing than Adora did. She let out a snort and slid the blonde a look with brows raised. "Hey, Adora, why did you pick this movie again?" she asked wryly.

Adora flushed instantly and was glad that the lights were off. To cover the blush, of course. And only for that reason. "I—w-well—" She scrambled for an explanation. "I thought it might—"

"Get me in the mood?" Catra finished with a _stupidly hot _eyebrow waggle.

"What?" Adora shrieked, sitting bolt upright. This was devolving fast. It was supremely unhelpful to her case that the characters on the screen were getting pretty…enthusiastic. "No, I would never—" _I mean, yes, but not _that _kind of mood specifically._

"It's okay, princess," Catra purred. She'd followed Adora's retreat and was now leaning closer, nosing at the blonde's cheek, eyes locked firmly on her lips. Adora couldn't catch her breath. Catra seemed to know it, because she smirked as her voice dropped to a whisper. "It's working."

Adora's careful planning flew out the window. There was really no way she could resist an overture like that, whether or not the TV was broadcasting some very uncomfortable content for the situation. She'd just have to wait a little longer to bring up The Thing. That was okay, right?

In any case, Adora threw her arms around Catra's waist the instant the brunette let their lips lock, and coherent thought—and the inhibitions that came with it—scattered from her mind. They were replaced by nothing but Catra: her warmth, her smell, her wiry body against Adora's, her _mouth_.

Kissing wasn't really unfamiliar territory for them anymore, since Mystacor had basically opened the floodgates on their displays of affection, but it hadn't ever been like _this _before. Adora wondered if Catra's new openness had anything to do with the new heat behind her advances; the fresh boldness that swept her off her feet instantly. She could do nothing but melt into the rhythm of Catra's lips and her hands as she pulled them flush together, and she found that she didn't want it any other way. She couldn't even find the sense to be embarrassed at the noise that slipped from her throat when Catra fingered her ponytail free and tugged her head back by the hair. Sharp teeth against her throat earned another, and she cared even less. She was slipping; forgetting all about her own intentions in the haze of stirring heat.

The shock of her back hitting the mattress was finally enough to bring Adora to her senses. "Catra," she mumbled out, and it was meant to sound like a warning but it came out as more of a moan. She was distracted again by Catra's hands running down her arms to her wrists, sending ripples through her nervous system as they clamped down. She squirmed to find more contact, drunk on Catra's touch. She was met with a fresh shock when Catra's thigh landed in just the right place, and—_that _woke her right up. "Catra!" she finally managed to blurt sharply. When Catra immediately backed off, Adora took the chance to catch her breath. "This is Bow's bed," she reminded through buzzing, swollen lips.

Catra's shoulders drooped in relief even as she laughed lightly, breathless as well. It occurred to Adora that she'd probably been afraid Adora was rejecting her. Her heart squeezed. "You said he wouldn't mind," the Horde student drawled, teeth glinting as she grinned.

"You know this isn't what I meant!" Adora returned indignantly. She'd said Bow wouldn't mind them using his bed to _watch TV _from. She doubted he'd be so gracious about them using it for, you know, other things. As much as she'd like to give those other things a try.

"Okay, okay, princess." Catra raised her hands innocently, sitting back on her heels so Adora was freed from her weight. "I'll keep it in my pants for Bow's sake, but only because you like him."

Adora was caught off guard as she slid out from under Catra to sit up. _For Bow's sake, _echoed in her mind_. _Usually, Catra only called him Arrow Boy or Sparkles' Other Half or Belly Button. The fact that she'd actually called him by name meant a lot more to Adora than she expected. It meant Catra cared. It meant she was making an effort to accept a part of Adora's life that she usually ridiculed at best and resented at most. It meant progress.

It gave Adora a fleeting glimpse of the thing she kept trying to identify. It also gave her the rush of hope and resolve that she needed to bring up what she'd been building toward all night. Now was a good a time as any, right? …Right?

"Catra," she began tentatively, trying to collect herself enough to build some momentum for The Big Moment. She fidgeted. "I wanted to, um, ask you something."

The look of sudden fear on Catra's face matched the quickening of Adora's own heart. Already this wasn't going the way she'd intended. She'd imagined a whole slew of ways that she could pose the question smoothly and suavely, at just the right moment, the way she'd been able to flirt at their first meeting. But Catra wasn't the only thing to change since then. Circumstances had, too. It was one thing to flirt effortlessly with a stranger when you could fall back on the safety net of never seeing them again. It erased all possible consequences. But taking a chance when it was with someone you knew? Someone you liked? Someone you had cuddled with and gone on dates with and made out with in a crappy Mystacor dressing room five minutes from closing time?

Consequences.

Adora figured the best thing she could do was spit it out before she brought all Catra's insecurity crashing back down, undoing all the progress of the last few months. She practically lunged for Catra's hands and held them as much to steady herself as to steady the other girl.

Then she drew a deep breath, looked her companion in the eyes and took the leap. "Catra, will you…be my girlfriend?"

The look on Catra's face melted from one of fear to one of blank disbelief.

Adora, on the other hand, felt panic rise. Why did Catra look so surprised? Had that really been such an inconceivable question? Had Catra really not expected her to bring it up sooner or later, after all the time they'd spent with each other? After all the…you know, progress?

At least, Adora had thought it was progress. Now her certainty was shriveling into a nauseous little knot in her gut, and her hands trembled a little around Catra's. She desperately tried to backtrack, "I know we haven't known each other for _all _that long and I'll completely understand if you're not ready yet, but I feel like—"

"You're not making this any easier," Catra cut her off with her voice just as flat as her expression.

Sick regret began trickling into Adora's veins like ice water. She should have waited. She should have given Catra more time. She should have let her make the first move. "Wh-what?" she stammered out, dreading the answer.

A flash of mirth in Catra's gemstone eyes was enough to offer Adora a mite of relief. Maybe she wasn't upset after all. But _why _had she looked like that, then? "Keeping it in my pants," Catra provided blithely and smiled, and _that _broke the last of the building tension between them.

_Thank God. _Adora let out an explosive sigh, feeling shaky in the wake of her panic even as the brunette leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. It was almost too close for Adora to focus on the bright blue and gold of her eyes, but she managed it gladly.

Catra's next words were a breath against her lips: "Of course I'll be your girlfriend, dummy."

Adora couldn't hold back another sigh of relief, nor the wide smile that broke over her face. "Geez," she breathed, "way to make a girl sweat." Seriously. Catra had had her terrified! Now that she thought about it, she probably should have expected Catra to be at least a _little _dramatic about her response. She felt stupid now for worrying over nothing. Catra's arms wrapping around her waist again made her feel better, though.

"It's what I'm good at." The brunette hummed a mischievous laugh.

Adora, fully aware that she'd walked right into that one, was too happy to be annoyed. She chuckled and tipped her head up to kiss the spray of freckles on Catra's nose. As she did so, a flash from over the other girl's shoulder reminded her of the TV. _So much for that, _she thought. But, then again, it had kind of set the mood—if not in the way Adora had been intending. "Do you want to finish the movie?" she asked, silently hoping that Catra would say _no. _Luckily it had progressed past the awkward love scene, but they hadn't really been paying attention for a minute anyway.

"No need," Catra replied, smirking into the kiss she planted against Adora's neck.

Adora did not argue. Instead she wrapped her arms around Catra's shoulders, combing a fond hand through her tangled hair as the brunette continued to love at her neck. The attentions sent a poignant shiver through her. On a sudden whim she murmured, "Catra, I'm so glad I met you." She hadn't really thought about the words, but as soon as they were out, Adora felt like she'd been meant to say them.

Catra pulled back to look at her—not in surprise, exactly, but a special kind of shock, and Adora felt a rush of both warmth and pity as she realized what it meant: Catra wasn't used to hearing things like that. Adora had gathered enough during the last few months to know that Catra's childhood had been pretty rough. She doubted she'd had much positive reinforcement to get her through her younger years. That fact, plus the look Catra was giving her right now, made Adora want to shower her with enough affirmations to make up for a lifetime of lack. She'd tell Catra every day how much she meant to her if it would spark that hesitant, heartfelt smile that she was wearing right now.

"I—me too," Catra replied, head lowered, voice almost shy, matching the blush rising to her cheeks.

Adora chanced a slow, genuine smile of her own. She tipped the brunette's chin up to meet her eyes tenderly and asked, "So, does this mean you'll take my sweatshirt now?"

Catra snorted and rolled her eyes. "If it means that much to you." She leaned in to give Adora a peck that left her wanting more.

"It does," Adora whispered a little hoarsely. Her gaze was stuck on Catra's lips. "It kind of, I don't know, brings things full circle." She forced her eyes up. "Does that make any sense?"

Catra shook her head, but she was smiling so one canine caught the dim light of the TV. "You're such an idiot."

"You love it."

Another flash of surprise crossed Catra's face. Adora figured she should probably stop dropping bombshells like this, but she was just so _happy. _Catra made her happy. And now she was her _girlfriend! _Adora wanted to make Catra just as happy, too.

The brunette let silence stretch between them as she lifted a hand to trace Adora's cheek with careful sharp-nailed fingers. Her touch was gentle, reflective, and her eyes were shadowed with deep thought. Adora waited for her to speak, feeling like this was an important moment to Catra's process.

"I…I do," Catra finally admitted in a tone of profound realization. She let out a shuddering breath like the words had physically affected her, and then smiled at the freedom of it. "I do." Then she refocused on Adora, sun and sky eyes boring into gray-blue, and wasted no time in leaning in and kissing her properly this time; tenderly. When she broke away they both gasped to regain their breath. "I love _you_," she finished, and her voice had taken on a different edge: rougher, fuller, like she was putting all of her emotion behind it. And, Adora thought, that had been what she was working toward this whole time, right? This was the ultimate display of openness, and Catra had taken the leap. Catra had trusted her.

That didn't mean the revelation didn't hit her like a punch to the gut. She supposed she deserved to weather a bombshell of her own, though, and this—well, this certainly qualified. For all of her hoping that Catra would make the first move for once, she hadn't really expected it to come to fruition in such an earthshaking way. She swallowed hard on a sudden lump in her throat. When she met Catra's eyes again and realized she was waiting, anxious, for a response, Adora didn't hesitate to grin widely and give it to her. "I love you, too," she confessed. She had for a while, she realized, if not ever since that day at the bus stop (but she wasn't really a believer in love at first sight). Catra just meant something different to her than anyone else—something _more. _She'd always felt as if Catra were an important part of her life; a piece of her that she hadn't realized was missing until she laid eyes on a certain very attractive, very unhappy stranger while standing in the middle of a downpour.

Now, it felt as if something had clicked into place deep in her chest. She felt newly satisfied; _whole._ It didn't take Adora long to realize: _this _was the unnamable something that she'd been grasping at for all this time. She'd thought maybe it was a relationship, but now that those beautiful, fateful words hung in the air between them, she knew that it was more than that. It was _love _the whole time. She wanted Catra to love her. She wanted Catra to know that she was loved in turn.

And now she had her wish.

In the wake of that powerful change, she and Catra were left grinning at each other like a couple of idiots. Adora wasn't sure if she felt more relieved that Catra felt the same way she did or more thrilled to find out what their future together would hold, but right now she didn't have the capacity to care. All she cared about was _Catra, _and the glowing warmth in those blue and gold eyes reflected the sentiment right back at her.

It was as if by some unspoken agreement that they leaned in to each other at the same time, meeting in the first kiss that truly meant something _new._

And if Bow was about to come home to find them making out on his bed, well, that was a problem for future Catra and Adora—together.

…

THE END


End file.
